Little Army
by Lidia1357
Summary: The BAU are called into Boise, Idaho when fifteen children are taken from their schools. The team is thrown into an unusual case and the only witness to the crime appears to be more involved than she cares to show. Reid must figure out her connection to the crime, but when he develops feelings for her he may make a huge, fatal mistake (ReidXOC)
1. Chapter 1

**I am not current to this show, but I think this should be enjoyable nonetheless. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds**

Spencer Reid sat in the center of his office space surrounded by his team. He sat in a chair with his leg resting on his opposite knee turning pages quickly in the book he was reading. It was a new volume on how the human eye and the studies made to create robotic eyes for the blind. Reid was fascinated as he flipped through the last few pages. He had barely skimmed the final paragraph when a subtle tap nearby stole his attention.

"Hey Reid, JJ has a new case for us." Morgan said quickly. "We need to meet up to put the profile together ASAP.

Reid set his finished book down and hopped up to join Morgan. in the conference room. JJ, Hotch, Emily, and Rossi were already there when they arrived. Garcia's face was shown on the screen in front of him, eagerly waiting for her task. Her hair had been dyed once again to an odd shade of violet with black underneath. Her green glasses and purple lipstick gave off the impression of some sort of clown. Reid sat down at the end of the table and rested his elbow in the polished, fake wood. He rested his chin on his fingertips, waiting for JJ to speak.

"Okay," she began without hesitation, passing files around the table. "I received a very strange call this morning along with these. There is a kidnapping rampage going on in Boise, Idaho. Kids ages ranging from one to three years old." JJ's expression darkened slightly in a way only a skilled profiler like Reid would notice. Henry was in this age group, so this must hit home for her. Reid couldn't help but feel the same. If anything happened to that kid he would lose his head. being a godfather felt about the same as a favorite uncle. He and Garcia spoiled the child rotten and loved him fiercely.

The case file finally reached Reid and he slipped it open. Images of young children smiled up at him with names and dates. Reid frowned as he took the information all in then looked up, tucking his hair back behind his ear. "None of these are from the same school or on any specific date."

JJ nodded, "yeah, it looks random to the Boise police and they have no idea what to make of it. There isn't any specific gender preference, or even age aside from young. None of them look the same or have anything to do with one another. But there are a lot of names in there and they could all be in terrible danger."

A million scenarios, patterns, probabilities and statistics ran through Reid's mind at once as he tried to sort out the case. Rossi helped JJ pin up photos of the children with the news clippings and dates on the board in chronological order of abduction. Fifteen, smiling faces with bright red cheeks and noses decorated the board. It was depressing. Reid hoped, as he always did, that they were okay.

"Perhaps the UNSUB lost a child around this age," Reid suggested, "and is trying to full the void with other children. Have any bodies been recovered?"

JJ shook her head. "No. Hopefully, that means they are alive. I think we need to get to Boise now."

"Right behind you." Morgan hopped up with everyone else. Reid was the last to stand as he looked at the pictures one last time.

"Do you see Henry in them too?" JJ asked softly. They were the only two left in the room. Everyone else was probably halfway to the jet by now.

Reid nodded and slid the papers back into the folder, tucking it under his arm. "I'm sure Garcia does too." He smiled encouragingly at JJ. "Let's solve this case sooner rather than later. I'm not partial to nightmares about Henry. As you probably recall."

JJ laughed. "Oh yeah I remember. Let's go."

Reid passed his office space and scooped up his bad he always had ready for cases like this one that have a chance of lasting more than a day. It was full of a couple changes of clothes, a toothbrush with floss, a book and a space for whichever case file is needed. They all quickly piled into the jet. Reid set his bag down beside him and settled in for the flight. Rossi sat across from him beside Hotch and Emily beside him. Morgan and JJ stood next to the table. Morgan with his arms crossed and a very serious expression on his face.

"I think we could use some better interviews of the families." Rossi said, flipping through his file. "I'll take the Petersons, Smiths and Roths."

"I've got the Dixons, Cremms, Flynns and Emelia's mother." Hotch offered.

"I'll take half of the rest," Emily offered. JJ volunteered on the other half.

"Reid, we'll need you to come with us at least once. See if any of these families are hiding something." Hotch said with his usual, cold demeanor. Reid glanced over his case file over and over again, unnecessarily, because he'd memorized every word and the faces already. There was nothing the same about these kids. Their faces were different, facial structure, none the exact same age. There was nothing to show a pattern. The team scattered about the plane, sitting in various seats and waiting for the jet to land. Rossi stayed with Reid and looked through the children's pictures.

"It's always so much worse when kids are involved." Rossi sighed to himself. Reid agreed silently and leaned back into his chair. He closed his eyes and thought through the millions of possibilities again.

* * *

><p>When they arrived in Boise, there was a tension in the air that could practically be felt with a physical touch. Obviously the media had warned the public about the kidnappings. There was suspicion and paranoia in the eye of every parent that held their child more closely than necessary all around them. Reid didn't exactly blame them. They arrived at the station quickly, all tense and ready to go.<p>

"FBI, my name is Agent Morgan." Morgan showed his badge to the Sheriff as he spoke.

"Sheriff Gavin," he introduced himself, offering his hand. Sheriff Gavin was a rather small man. His brown hair was cut short and his face was cleanly shaven. Reid saw a slight vanity in the way he stood and the subconscious brush of his finger against his smooth chin. There was also concern in his blue eyes that matched everyone else in the station. "Thank you for coming. We're all out of our minds with this. Parents are refusing to let their child go to school or even leave the house. I don't blame them either. Fifteen kids missing and nothing to tell us how to stop it. The only hope we have is the lack of bodies turning up." He led them to a private room to analyze and put their profile together quietly. Reid took a swift glance around the room and the awkward police men and women. There was always a sense of resentment or awkwardness by the lower police folk when the FBI come in. Some felt as if they were secretly being told they weren't good enough for the job, where as other realized just how bad the situation was. Either way, it wasn't comfortable for anyone.

They all stepped into the room and Sheriff Gavin gestured to the board he'd already had put together. It was done in chronological order just as they had done back home, but this time there were private interview quotes from the families, pictures of the schools, and other details that weren't sent to them. Reid took in the new information like a sponge and watched for similarities. The schools didn't hold anything for him. At least not in the pictures.

"I think we should talk to the teachers and visit the schools." Reid said as he rested his hands on his hips."

"You read my mind," Emily said, taking note of all of the addresses of the school buildings.

"There's something else," Gavin said. Everyone turned his direction. "I just received word about a witness. They are bringing her in now."

**So what do you all think? I know I probably chose the most difficult character in the show where thoughts and the inside of his head come in, but he is my favorite. There will be romance involved and plenty of emotional parts but this is meant to be like an actual episode.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds**

Dianna stood in the police station pacing a hole in the floor. She had been instructed to sit when she was brought here, but she couldn't sit still! Not after what she'd just seen! The memories flashed through her mind so quickly she could barely comprehend one from the next. Her mind had suppressed what she'd seen enough to not be a very useful witness, but enough to wind her up more tightly than a Jack-In-The-Box. Her long, chocolate colored hair hung in a mess to her lower ribs and her pale face was flushed. One barely ever noticed the lines around her eyes, eyes she'd been told were chocolate brown flecked with cold. She only saw the brown. The lines around her mouth were happy, laugh lines that masked a darker side she rarely showed anyone. Mostly young men barely out of high school tried to get her number. Her true age hidden behind her abnormal beauty. She sighed and scratched at some paint on her fingers as the sheriff and another man approached her. The young, small sheriff smiled awkwardly up at her and gestured to a chair.

"Dianna Porter, this is Dr. Spencer Reid. I'm sorry for the shock you must be going through. But we would appreciate if you would answer some questions for us."

Dianna stared at the seat like a rebellious child would her mother. The new man piped up immediately before she made a move for it.

"I think I can handle this from here Sheriff Gavin thank you." He offered a smile that showed deep, laugh lines. His curling, honey hair wrapped around his ears as if he'd pushed it back with irritation. He wore what screamed stereotypical nerd to her and his hands were pushed into his pockets easily. How could anyone be at ease around here? Dianna didn't understand him at all!

Sheriff Gavin left eagerly, barely giving a proper farewell before exiting the claustrophobic room. Dianna turned again for the horrible chair when this new man stopped her.

"You don't have to sit if you'd rather not," he seemed to rush his words out, but somehow not with haste. "I can see your discomfort at the idea. You see, I'm part of the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit. My job is to read people. And I'm good at it."

Dianna frowned and crossed her arms, leaning away from him. "Why did they send you here? Do they think I'm going to hide something?"

Dr. Reid shook his head and pulled his hands from his pockets, holding them out almost in welcome. "Not at all. They just sent the only person not busy really. You see I'm used more to help determine an UNSUB's motives and try to predict his next move or figure out why he's doing what he is. But I can also ask questions while reading someone well enough that I can make it as comfortable as possible. Like noticing you didn't want to sit in the chair."

_Wow... he's fascinating._ Dianna was interested and her arms loosened around her slightly. The way he moved and spoke with such speed and animation suggested intelligence. She took a closer look at the man, using the artist in her to see things others usually missed. His eyes were the color of river rocks deep in the water, but the indents of skin and color around them hid the beauty behind a society flaw. His hair reflected with blond in the light and his face was designed to smile, even when he wasn't. He was someone to trust. And, somehow, she found that she did. Ever so slowly, Dianna uncrossed her arms and placed one hand on her hip. The other shoulder shrugged. "UNSUB?"

Dr. Reid waved his hand in dismissal. "Unknown Subject. Basically a nickname for the murderers and kidnappers we have to deal with."

His speech left her in the dust simply with the speed. Somehow, she could tell he was lowering his vocabulary. If he wasn't she'd never be able to keep up. "Okay. So what do you want to know?"

Dr. Reid subconsciously tucked a hair strand behind his ear and stood straight. "I'd just like you to close your eyes and take yourself back to the moment you saw the UNSUB."

Dianna tensed.

"I know it's difficult, especially since you barely escaped him. But it would help us locate the children before something happens to them."

Dianna thought of the kids the monster had taken and swallowed. "Okay." She closed her eyes and took herself back to the moment.

"Okay, so what were you doing before you saw the UNSUB?"

She saw her classroom, temporarily empty while the children were playing outside. "I was grading some papers in my classroom while the kids were all playing at recess. I... I heard a scream and looked out the window."

"Very good," Dr. Reid's voice said gently.

"It was just playful screaming, but I saw a strange, hooded man watching the kids. I didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble, but I'd watched enough news to be paranoid. So I went outside and walked towards him. He didn't see me, but he had Lilly, she was just a small girl, barely two years old."

"Wait, two years old... I just realized how young these victims are. Why was someone so young in school?"

"It's a special school for a head start. It's really a pre preschool for rich kids. There are a few around here recently."

Dr. Reid thought on that a moment and urged her further.

"I ran after him just outside the school grounds, but he had just gotten Lilly into a black Volvo... I called after him, 'Hey! What are you doing?' and he turned with a gun. He shut the door and grabbed me by the arm, pressing the gun to my temple." Dianna's memory became fuzzy and it was difficult to remember what happened next. She wasn't sure if the UNSUB spoke to her, or simply held the gun to her head. So she skipped the the next part she could remember. "He led me between two buildings in an alley and pushed me to the ground and tied my wrists and ankles. He left quickly and an officer arrived later. He said there was an anonymous call about me. I think it was him but I don't know why."

Dr. Reid scrutinized her calmly, silently judging her words and taking note in his mind. Did he believe her? Did he notice that there was something she didn't remember? What was he going to do?

"Did you happen to see the license plate on the Volvo?"

Dianna shook her head. "No, I wish I'd thought to look at the time. But It all happened so fast.

He nodded and played with his tie while he spoke, careful with his words. "So he just put his gun to your head and lead you to an alley, tied you up and ran?"

"Yes."

"He didn't say anything to you? Whisper a threat, give an order to not scream or anything?"

"No," Dianna said without much confidence. "He didn't."

Dr. Reid cocked his head to the side, pursing his lips a moment. "Are you certain?"

Dianna's thin temper flared and she slammed her fists against the table. "Yes! Lilly and fifteen other kids are out there! What makes you think I would hide information from you if it meant it could save them?"

The sudden outburst didn't even phase him. In fact, he seemed even more interested. "can you give any description of the man to a sketch artist?"

Dianna laughed. "Even better, I can draw you a sketch myself. I'll do that as soon as we're done here." She was itching to draw something anyway. And this was a very productive way to do it.

"One more question. Did you have any special connection with Lilly or any other kids taken?"

This question surprised her. "What?"

Dr. Reid shrugged. "Did you have any relationship with Lilly that was stronger than with the other children? Was she a favorite, or closer to you in any way?"

Dianna's jaw dropped with offense. "I do not have _favorites_ Dr. Reid! I would be this worried about any of those other kids! Now you get out there and find that son of a bitch who did this to them!"

Dr. Reid pursed his lips again and nodded. "Thank you." And stepped out of the door. Dianna sighed and covered her face with one hand, pushing back many emotions; anger, sadness, shock, relief, worry. She sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair and finally sat down. Why were her memories fuzzy? She looked again at the paint on her fingers and wondered if she'd helped to save those kids at all.

* * *

><p>"She's definitely hiding something." Reid said as he entered the room. Rossi and Hotch had already gone to interview their assigned families, and Emily was checking out the schools. Only JJ and Morgan were present. "She contemplated something, as if she had a difficult time remembering specifics somewhere in the story then simply withheld information. She didn't necessarily wish to be uncooperative, but she didn't work that hard at telling me there were some resisting memories. There must be more to it. And he's also driving a black Volvo but she didn't get plates. She said she'll get a sketch for us now."<p>

JJ frowned with confusion. "You mean talk to a sketch artist right?"

Reid shook his head, "no she said she can draw it herself. Guess we'll see when she's done. I saw some paint on her fingers so she's definitely had some experience with art. And statistically showing with teachers-"

"We got it Reid." Morgan interrupted, as usual, and flipped his phone open. "Hey Baby Girl I'm gonna need every black Volvo in Boise you've got."

Reid turned to JJ and pointed at the schools. "There's a pattern I should have noticed before. Notice the ages of these children. All too young to be in school yet he's kidnapping them from schools. Ms. Porter said she taught at a special school to give kids a jump start on their education. They are private schools for kids barely able to speak yet."

JJ smiled. "Guess everyone wants little geniuses like you. So we have ourselves a pattern. I'll see if Rossi wants to take a crack at Ms. Porter to fill in the holes. If she's suppressing something it's probably vital."

Reid sat down and flipped through the file again, adding his new information to the mixture of notes and photos. Part of his mind wandered back to Dianna Porter. Normally, Reid never noticed attractiveness in women, especially compared to Derek Morgan. But he saw something in this woman. He could see that her appearance didn't match her age at first glance, but her eyes were very mature. She was clearly passionate and loving as well as protective and fierce. She was certainly an interesting woman. Some time went by and he decided to check up on that sketch she promised. He pushed away from the table and exited the room.

**So, any thoughts? Any constructive criticism is gladly accepted. Theories, suggestions or other thoughts are appreciated as well. Thanks!**


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